After graduating from college in 1978, I first moved to Oregon. Six months later I moved to California and have never regretted the decision despite all the negativity I’ve received from those few childhood friends I remain in touch with.

Indeed, it took a column by DeAndre Evans, who came from Arkansas, to remind me about the reasons why I’ve stayed. Evans writes for CalMatters that “California’s reputation as a beacon of progress and opportunity is largely earned. It is, by many metrics, one of the nation’s leading states.”

Yet, Evans notes, there is a willingness among residents to criticize the very things which make the state what it is and that “negativity” seems to “originate far beyond California’s borders but somehow latches within.”

“Issues like homelessness, gas prices, public transit, the cost of living and the efficacy of state government are relentlessly portrayed as unique, catastrophic failings. The narrative suggests California is a ‘hellscape’ where businesses cannot thrive and citizens suffer under uniquely oppressive conditions.”

I concur with that perspective, but disagree with the conclusions, as did Evans.

There are significant problems in the state which become amplified because of California’s size. Homelessness, the environment, government, transportation are all lightning rods for criticism both at home and nationwide.

Yet, California has traditionally been at the forefront of problems that years later affect other states.

Homelessness is an example. It’s a complex crisis. But California is making a go of trying to rectify the problem. Local communities are trying to find solutions as well. Most the solutions are imperfect, but unlike other states, we’re leading the way in making an effort.

People are always complaining about high gas prices, but those high prices have led to a cleaner environment. And as gas-powered vehicles start to fade into history — because of innovations originating in California — gasoline is going to get even more expensive, forcing people to use more alternate forms of transit and resulting in an even cleaner, or greener environment.

“This commitment to environmental quality is further underscored by the state’s unparalleled electric vehicle infrastructure, support programs and adoption rates,” states Evans. “It offers a stark contrast to states where fossil fuel interests often dictate policy with little regard for long-term ecological consequences.”

As for affordable housing: “While the housing crisis requires urgent and innovative solutions, the ‘low cost of living’ in states like Arkansas often comes with significant trade-offs: lower wages, fewer economic opportunities, a dearth of specialized services and a less robust social safety net.”

Other issues like the legalization of cannabis (which I don’t use), the defense of reproductive rights, the preservation of public coastlines are the direct result of a progressive, “albeit imperfect, state government that actively legislates to protect and enhance the lives of its citizens.”

Evans brought to the forefront some of the reasons I came to this state. Idaho, which I once viewed as “practical,” has become a state of repression, where individual rights, die. It’s a state where women are seen as second-class citizens and religion seems to rule public policy.

Evans admonishes us to not let “externally crafted propaganda and internal frustrations, however valid some may be, blind you to the substantial, hard-won progress California represents.

“You may or may not know how good you have it, but you’re close to finding out what ‘bad’ truly looks like,” Evans states.

All in all, Californians do have it pretty good. We’re a worldwide economic powerhouse that is trying new things, sometimes failing, sometimes succeeding, but always striving to be better. We shouldn’t forget that.

Jim Smith is the former editor of The Daily Democrat, retiring in 2021 after a 27-year career at the paper.